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Locomotive fired up for New Year's Day first

Lawrie Rose Lawrie takes a selfie style photo and smiles at the camera. He has dark long hair that is tied back as well as a dark beard. He stands in front of an old locomotive in a scrapyard that is rusty and worn.Lawrie Rose
Lawrie Rose along with a team of volunteers has helped save and restore several locomotives from scrap

To celebrate 200 years of passenger-carrying railways, one locomotive enthusiast will be offering train rides for what will be a New Year's Day first.

Lawrie Rose will be firing up one of his three locomotives at the Whitwell and Reepham Railway Station in Norfolk.

It will be the first time on New Year's Day that trains are run on the tracks at the station.

Along with a team of helpers, Mr Rose has also saved the two other locomotives from scrap that will be on display at the event.

"The idea was to put on something fun and celebrate the start of this big year for us and also try and give people something nice to do on New Year's Day," explained Mr Rose, who is from Ipswich.

"Heritage railways all across the country are going to be sounding their whistles or horns at 12:00 and we'll be joining in with that to sound in the new year and to mark 200 years of the passenger-carrying railway which is really exciting."

Lawrie Rose Lawrie Rose is pictured standing inbetween a green locomotive and red fire engine parked next to each other. He has long dark hair that is tied up and a dark beard. He is wearing a blue t-shirt with blue jeans. He has spread his arms out wide either side of him toward the vehicles. Lawrie Rose
Mr Rose has a large collection of locomotives as well as vehicles including an old fire engine

The first locomotive Mr Rose bought was a Ruston 48, models of which were used in the past at Mid-Suffolk Light Railway.

"In 1952 this railway closed as it never made any money and a tiny diesel locomotive called a Ruston 48 was used to pull the demolition train," said the 34-year-old.

"I always thought it would lovely to have one of these to help tell the story of the railway."

He said he purchased it off Sir William McAlpine himself - the saviour of the world famous Flying Scotsman locomotive - and named it after him while keeping it for many years at Mid-Suffolk Light Railway.

Lawrie Rose Mr Rose's Sir William McAlpine Ruston 48 moves down a track. Trees surround the small section of tracks while other passenger train carriages can be seen in the background. Lawrie Rose
The Sir William McAlpine Ruston 48 will pull passenger carriages during the New Year's Day event
Lawrie Rose An old rusty locomotive is lifted onto a truck bed. It is being lowered on to it while a worked guides it down. Lawrie Rose
The Ruston 48 locomotive was found in scrap and saved before it was restored by Mr Rose and his team

The wheels on this particular locomotive became worn and when searching for parts, Mr Rose came across another Ruston 48.

"When I turned up at the scrapyard and they dragged it out from the pile of rubbish that it had been sat under for the past 39 years, I walked around it and just went, 'wow, this thing is pretty complete'," he added.

While some parts were missing, the locomotive was largely intact and with the help of a fundraiser from followers of a YouTube channel he runs, Mr Rose bought it and has been in the process of restoring it.

It will be on show at the event along with a larger version - the Ruston 165 - dating back to 1950 that Mr Rose similarly saved from going to scrap.

Lawrie Rose A close up view of the front of a large locotmotive. It has a lower red front with a grill above this. A cabin can be seen further back behind the engine compartment. Tracks can be seen running behind the locomotive. Lawrie Rose
The Ruston 165 was built in 1950 and was saved from going to scrap by Mr Rose

Mr Rose is keen to get younger generations interested in locomotives and old vehicles.

"We need people to come in, we need that next generation to show interest, to learn the skills and to be excited.

"If they don't come up then there's nobody there to carry it on and that will be the biggest travesty of all after all this effort and work we've put in if there's nobody there to continue it."

Lawrie Rose A large group of men stand around a green locomotive on train tracks. They are wearing orange hi-vis jackets and smiling at the camera. Lawrie Rose
Mr Rose and a team of friends are helping him restore the two locomotives saved from scrap

Mr Rose's YouTube channel, Lawrie's Mechanical Marvels, details his passion for old vehicles and locomotives and has 113,000 subscribers.

He said a community of like-minded people had developed from it.

"If I can continue to do that and just make people happy and make a positive impact on some people's lives, that's enough for me," he added. "That's a life well spent."

The New Year's Day event at Whitwell and Reepham Railway Station is free to attend with train rides costing £5 for adults, £3 for children or £10 for a family ticket, with other attractions also planned for the day.

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